Footstock for cam lapping machines



y 1938- H. s. INDGE ET AL 2,117,960

I FOOTSTOCK FOR CAM LAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 21, 1936 HERBERT S.INDL-7E BEE/REE EHULEERT Patented May 17,1938

UNITED STATES PATENT omen FOOTSTOCK FOR CAM LAPPI'NG MACHINES Herbert s. Indge'and George, E. Hulbert, West-t1. boro, Mass, assignors to Norton Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts I,

OrigInalappIication August2 l, 1936, Serial No.

97,232. Divided and this application May 27,:

1937; Serial No. 145,074 I p 1 v r 5 Claims.

. provide an improved footstock in which a footstock center is moved to and from a proper position by means of a togglelevermechanism. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved footstock in whlcha fluid pressure actuated toggle lever mechanism is provided for moving the footstockcenter toward or from an operative position. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointedout hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and thescope of the application of which will be indicated inthe following claims. Y

In the accompanying drawing; in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of this invention,v

Fig. l is a sectional view through the improved footstock showing the toggle lever mechanism and the fluid pressure actuated drill mechanism therefor;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the footstock control valve, taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a, longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken approximately on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Theimproved footstock III has been illustrated in the drawing for rotatably supportinga work piece ina grinding or lapping machine, such as a camshaft lapping machine.

The footstock i supports a rotatable footstock spindle II which in turn carries a footstock center, i2. The spindle II is journaled in bearings l3 and i4 within a hollow slidably mounted sleeve l5. The sleeve i5 is' slidably keyed by means of thekey i6 within an aperture I! in the footstock frame I0. I

A fluid pressure actuated mechanism is providingv for moving a footstock center 2 rapidly to and from an operative position to support a rotatable work piece, such as a camshaft, within the machine; This mechanism comprises a fiuld pressure cylinder 2|lhaving a slidably mounted piston 2| contained therein. The piston 2| is connected to one end of the piston rod 22, the other end of which is connected to a pin 23. The central portion of the pin 23 is slabbed oil on opposite sides so as to slide freely within an elongated slot 24 formed within an enlarged portion at the lower end of the piston rod.22. The pin 23 serves as a central pivotal connection between a' pair of toggle levers 25 and 26. The other end of the toggle levers 26 is connected to the footstock frame I!) by means of a stud 21. The other end of the'toggle levers-25 is connected by stud 28 with a slidably mounted sleeve 29 which slides within an aperture 30' within the sleeve l5. The sleeve 29 is held against rotation by means of a pin 3| carried by sleeve |5 and which rides within an elongated slot 32 in sleeve 29. A spring 33 is contained within the sleeve 29 and is interposed betweenthe end of the sleeve 29 and the thrust collar 34.

When fluid under pressure is admitted .to cylinder chamber 36, the toggle levers 25 and 26 are moved from full line positions 25 and 25 into .the dotted line positions 25a and 26a (Fig. 1) which serves to move the sleeve 29 toward the right.

This movement serves to move the sleeve l5 and footstock center |2 into an inoperative position. In order readily to control the movement of the footstock center, a control valve 401s formed integral with the cylinder 20. The valve 40 is preferably of a piston type and serves to control the admissionof fluid under pressure passing through the pipe 4| to the cylinder. A control lever 42 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 43 carried by a bracket 44 formed integral with the valve casing is connected by a stud 45 with a spool shaped head 46 carried on the end of a valve stem 41. Formed integral with the valve stem 41 are the valve pistons 5|, 52 and 53. 'A valve chamber 54 is formed between the valve pistons 5| and 52 and a valve chamber 55-is formed between the valve pistons 52 and 53. In the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the valve piston 52 closes and prevents passage of fluid through the inlet pipe or port 4|. When it is desired to cause the piston 2| to move upwardly to withdraw the footstock spindle i5 and center |2 to an inopera tive position,.the lever 42 is rocked in a clockwise direction to shift the valve stem 41 toward the left (Fig. 2) to allow fluid under pressure passing through the pipe or port 4| to enter the valv chamber 55 and to pass through the passage 4 into the lower cylinder chamber 36 to cause the piston 2| to move upwardly and thereby shift the tog l 'levers 25 and 26 from their full line position (Fig. 1) into dotted line positions 25a and 28a, thereby withdrawing the footstock center l2 to 'an inoperative position.

During the upward movement of the piston,

fluid within the upper cylinder chamber passes outwardly through the passage 49 into the valve chamber 54 and out through the passage 56 which is connected by a pipe (not shown) to return the fluid to a reservoir or sourceof supply.

Similarly, when it is desired to'move the center l2 into an operative position, the lever 42 is moved in a counterclockwise direction to shift the valve stem 41 toward the right (Fig. 2) so that fluid under pressure passing through the pipe 4| enters the valve chamber 54 and passes through the passage 49 into cylinderchamber 50 to move the piston 2i downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby shifting the toggle levers 25 and 25 from the dotted line positions 2511 and 26a into the full line positions, as shown. in Fi 1.

' During tliedownward movement of the piston, fluid within the cylinder chamber 36 exhausts through the passage 48 into the valve chamber and out through the exhaust passage 56.

The operation of the improved footstock will be readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure. By the manipulation of the control lever 42 the footstock center I 2 may be moved into and/or away from an operative position relative to the work piece. The footstock I0 is operatively adjusted along its supporting base so that when the toggle levers 25 andlti are in a closed position, that is in astraight' line position, it holds the footstock center i2 in operative engagement with the work piece, and the spring 33 will be under compression so that the footstock center is maintained in yielding engagement with the work piece during operation of the machine.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly, practical advantages are successfully achieved. As many possible embodlments may be made of the above invention, and as manychanges might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:-

1. A footstock for an abrading machine comby said piston to move said sleeve and center to and from an operating position, and a control valve which is fixedly supported on the steadyrest frame to admit fluid under pressure to move the footstock center either toward or from an operating position.

i 2. A footstock for an abrading machine com prising a footstock center, a slidable sleeve, antifriction bearings between-the center and sleeve, a second sleeve slidably mounted within the first sleeve,,a spring interposed between said sleeve, a fluid pressure piston and cylinder, a pair of toggle levers connected to said pistons, one of said toggle levers being connected to the frame, connections between the other togglev lever and said secondsleeve, and means including a manually operable control valve to admit fluid under .pressure to said cylinder. to open or close said toggle levers so as to move the footstock center either toward or from an operativeposition.

3. A footstock for an abrading machine comprising a footstock frame, a slidably mounted sleeve supported therein, a .rotatable work supporting center carried withinsaid sleeve, a fluid pressure piston and cylinder operatively connected to move said spindle toward or from an operative position, and yieldable means interposed between the piston andcylinder and spindle yieldably to maintain the center in an operative v position.

4. A footstock for an abrading machine comprising a footstock frame, a. slidably mounted sleeve supported therein, a work center carried thereby, a slidable sleeve-within said first named sleeve, a spring interposed between said sleeves,

and means including a fluid'pressure piston and cylinder and a control valve on said frame which are operatively connected to move said second sleeve to compress said spring and to move the spindle and center into yielding engagement with connected between the piston and second sleeve yieldably to move the first sleeve and centerlnto an operative position in yielding engagement with a work piece,and a manually operable'control valve formed integral with said cylinder which is arranged to move the center to and from an opcrating position.

'HERBERT S. INDGE.

GEORGE E. HULBERT. 

